core

### Creating QuickFeatures

For details on implementing QuickFeatures in PC-DMIS Laser, see "Implementation of QuickFeatures in PC-DMIS Laser" in the PC-DMIS Laser documentation.

For details on implementing QuickFeatures in PC-DMIS Vision, see "Implementing QuickFeatures in PC-DMIS Vision CAD View" and "Implementing QuickFeatures in PC-DMIS Vision Live View" in the PC-DMIS Vision documentation.

For details on using the Quick Scan functionality to create a Linear Open scan from a polyline or surface, see "Creating Quick Scans" in the "Scanning" chapter in the PC-DMIS CMM documentation.

About QuickFeatures

You can use the QuickFeatures functionality to create auto features from gestures. These gestures are usually click or click and drag operations with key combinations. You perform the gestures with the mouse on the CAD model without any menu options or dialog boxes. Also, if models contain point features, and PC-DMIS is in curve mode, you can use QuickFeatures to box-select and create multiple point features at a time. For more information, see "Creating Vector Point Features by Box-Selecting" below.

When you create QuickFeatures, dialog boxes with feature lists (such as for constructions or dimensions) can remain open. As you add the new features into the measurement routine, PC-DMIS adds them into in the feature list and automatically selects them for the current operation.

For information about the default settings and on how to use the Measurement Strategy Editor to change default settings, see "Using the Measurement Strategy Editor" topic.

You can also choose to create a feature so that the Flexible Measurement Strategy (FMS) wizard appears. This lets you change a feature's main parameters. For more information, see "Using the Flexible Measurement Strategy (FMS) Wizard" in the next main topic.

Requirements

Your CAD model can contain either surface data or wireframe data. However, due to limitations in wireframe data, if your model is a wireframe-only model, PC-DMIS cannot create these features using the QuickFeature functionality:

- Vector Point

- Angle Point

- Plane

- Sphere

Also, QuickFeatures only function with contact auto features.

General Process to Create a QuickFeature

You can choose to work with or without the Auto Feature dialog box open.

1. In the Edit window, click to define where to insert the new feature.

2. In the Graphic Display window, hover the pointer over the CAD element.

3. For point features (Vector, Edge, Angle, Corner), press Ctrl + Shift and click on the CAD element to create the feature.

- Vector Point

  To create a vector point, press Shift + Ctrl and hover the pointer over the surface. An arrow that represents the surface vector (light blue) appears. Click and release the mouse button to create the feature.

  Example of Selecting a Vector Point

  You can also quickly create vector points by box-selecting them. See "Create Vector Point Features by Box-Selecting" below.

- Edge Point

  To create an edge point, press Shift + Ctrl. Hover the pointer near a surface edge where the angle between the two surfaces is 90 degrees. Arrows that represent the surface vector (light blue) and the edge vector (green) appear. Click and release the mouse button to create the feature.

  Example of Selecting an Edge Point

- Angle Point

  To create an angle point, press Shift + Ctrl and hover the pointer near a surface edge where the angle between the two surfaces is NOT 90 degrees. PC-DMIS draws arrows to highlight the angle point (the light blue arrow represents the surface 1 normal vector, and the light green arrow represents the surface 2 normal vector). Click and release the mouse button to create the feature.

  Example of Selecting an Angle Point

- Corner Point

  To create a corner point, press and hold Shift + Ctrl and hover the pointer over a corner. PC-DMIS draws arrows to highlight the corner point. Click and release the mouse button to create the feature.

  Example of Selecting a Corner Point

If you enable a 3D grid on the Graphic Display window, the software snaps Vector, Edge, and Angle points to the nearest intersection on the grid. For more information, see "Adding a 3D Grid" in the "Editing the CAD Display" chapter.

4. For Plane, Circle, Ellipse, Cylinder, Cone, or Sphere, press Shift and click on the CAD element to create the feature.

Example of a highlighted 3D Cylinder

For Line, Round Slot, Square Slot, Notch Slot, and Polygon features types, follow the instructions in their respective topics below. These feature types, and other information not covered in this general procedure, are discussed below.

Creating Line Features

- To create a basic line feature, hover the pointer near a surface edge where the angle between the two surfaces is 90 degrees. Press and hold the Shift key on your keyboard. Click and drag the pointer for a short distance along the line. PC-DMIS starts to highlight the line. An arrow representing the edge vector (green) appears.

Drag to define the length of the line, and release the mouse button. PC-DMIS places the line's start point where you click the button and the end point where you release the button.

- To create a line feature from multiple, colinear, line elements, press and hold Shift, (1) hover the pointer over a line, click and drag the pointer for a short distance along the line to start to highlight it; then (2) move the pointer to another colinear element and drag to define the length of the line. Once the elements are highlighted and the line is the desired length, (3) release the mouse button to create the line feature from the line elements.

Example of a line from two colinear elements

Creating Circle Features

- To create a basic circle feature, press and hold Shift, then hover the pointer over the circle's arc. Once it highlights the circle, click the circle to create the feature.

- To create a circle feature from two disjointed arcs, press and hold Shift, (1) hover the pointer over one arc, click to select the arc; (2) move the pointer to the other arc to highlight it. Once the entire circle is highlighted, (3) release the mouse button to create the feature.

Creating Circular Multi-QuickFeatures

This procedure creates circular features (circles or cylinders) of the same size, such as a bolt hole pattern:

- To create multiple circular features, (1) select one or more surfaces, press and hold Shift, then (2) hover the pointer over one circular feature to highlight all circular features of that diameter on those surfaces. Once all the features are highlighted, (3) click the feature to create the highlighted circular features.

Multi-QuickFeatures work with up to 500 circular features per surface. If you have a surface with more than 500 circular features, Multi_QuickFeatures does nothing. In that case, you need to use the box-select method to create the features. For information, see "Box Selecting to Create Multiple Auto Features".

Creating Square Slot Features

- To create a square slot, press and hold Shift, (1) hover the pointer over one edge of the slot, click and drag the pointer for a short distance along the edge to highlight it; then (2) move the pointer to an adjacent edge. Once the entire slot is highlighted, (3) release the mouse button to create the feature.

- To create square slots that are on a non-planar surface, repeat the above steps but hover the pointer over the planar surface sides of the square slot instead of the edges.

Creating Round Slot Features

- To create a round slot, press and hold Shift, (1) hover the pointer over one of the circular ends of the slot, and click and drag the pointer a short distance along the curve to highlight it; then (2) move the pointer to a straight side. Once the entire slot is highlighted, (3) release the mouse button to create the feature.

You can also start by hovering over a straight side, click and drag the pointer a short distance to highlight it. Then move the pointer to a circular end. Once the slot is highlighted, release the mouse button to create the feature.

- To create round slots that are on a non-planar surface, repeat the above steps but hover the pointer over a cylindrical end of the round slot instead of a circular edge.

Creating Notch Slot Features

To create a notch slot, press and hold Shift, (1) hover the pointer over one of the legs of the notch; click and drag the pointer a short distance along the leg to highlight it; then (2) move the pointer to an adjacent side. Once the entire notch is highlighted, (3) release the mouse button.

Creating Polygon Features

To create a polygon feature, press and hold Shift, (1) hover the pointer over one side of the polygon; click and drag the pointer a short distance along the side to highlight it; then (2) move the pointer to an adjacent side. Once the entire polygon is highlighted, (3) release the mouse button.

Creating Features from Wireframe Models

You can create any feature except those mentioned in the "Requirements" heading above. From the Graphic Modes toolbar, select Curve Mode and then follow the instructions given in this topic to create the feature as usual.

Cone and cylinder features require two circle elements with coaxial centroids. For cone and cylinder features, press Shift, (1) hover the pointer over one of the circles making up the feature, click to highlight that circle; then (2) move the pointer to highlight the feature's other circle. Once both elements are highlighted, (3) release the mouse button to create the cone or cylinder from the two circles.

Cylinder Created from Wireframe Elements

Creating Vector Point Features by Box-Selecting

If your CAD model has a lot of point features, you can quickly create them by box-selecting them. For this to work, the CAD model must already have the points defined as individual CAD elements. Also, the part model must have surface data.

1. From the Graphic Modes toolbar, select Curve Mode .

2. Press and hold Shift.

3. Click and drag a box around the point features.

4. Release the mouse button to create vector point features from the selected point CAD elements.

Additional Information on QuickFeatures

- You can select colinear or coplanar elements. To do this, press and hold Shift, hover the pointer over a line or plane, click and hold the mouse button, and move the pointer to a colinear or coplanar element. Once all the elements are highlighted, release the mouse button to create the feature from both elements. For an example, see "Creating Line Features" above.

- You can toggle what features are executed within the Graphic Display window. To do this, press Alt and click on the feature label to toggle its marked state. For information on marking features, see "Marking Commands for Execution" in the "Editing a Measurement Routine" chapter.

- You can have PC-DMIS automatically generate safe moves inside the QuickFeature. To do this, select Operation | Graphic Display Window | Clearance Move | Within feature prior to creating the features. If this menu option is enabled, moves (between sample hits and among hits in the same list) are automatically computed and drawn as lines.

Example of Within Feature set to active

For details on creating clearance moves, see "Inserting Clearance Moves Automatically" in the "Inserting Move Commands" chapter.

- If you select Operation | Graphic Display Window | Clearance Move | With Feature Creation, PC-DMIS generates clearance moves between QuickFeatures. The Auto Feature dialog box must be closed.

- Automatic safe moves between features that use different probe tip angles is not supported. You must manually define these moves.

- PC-DMIS automatically updates the contents of an open Auto Feature dialog box. During feature creation, it retrieves the data from the feature on the CAD model.

For a created feature, the dialog box updates to the feature you selected.

For an edited feature, it only does this if the selected feature matches the edited one.

In both cases, the default values for the feature come from registry entries.